Baseball fields have an infield area extending around the bases that is smooth, soft dirt, free of any grass. The infield area has to be groomed to keep it the desired consistency. Grooming is required before games, and often the infield area is groomed during a game between innings.
A variety of implements are used to groom the infield area, some of which are pulled by hand, and others by a vehicle, such as a small tractor. These implements, which include rakes and brooms, are typically separate devices that must be stored and attached separately to a tractor. Sometimes adequate storage in the close vicinity of the ball field is not available, particularly with high school and college ball fields. Also, the grounds-keeping staff may be few in number, and the budgets to maintain the fields small.